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Manchester United are counted as one of the most successful clubs in the world for a reason. Two reasons, actually. The first being their ability to nurture and attract some of the world’s biggest talents – the Busby Babes and the Class of ’92 being just two groups of many who have graced the Theater of Dreams over the decades.
The second, of course, is their ability to bring in the right individual, in the form of a manager, to bring out the best in each and every player.
Granted, Manchester United have gone through a bit of turmoil in the managerial department since the departure of a certain Scotsman back in 2013, but things seem to be on the up under current boss and club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, hiring the best managers in the world isn’t the only reason the club thrived during its glory days. Getting behind their boss, with Manchester United renowned for backing their managers up to the hilt, and giving him enough time to deliver – provided he takes the club in the right direction – have also contributed to the club’s success.
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In a world where clubs play roulette with their managers, time is a luxury Manchester United have been quite gracious with. It’s no wonder, then, that they are currently the most successful English club in the Premier League, with their influence extending to every corner of the globe.
So who are the managers who have played a major part in bringing Manchester United to its current point? You’re about to find out as we get to ranking Manchester United’s top 5 managers of all time.
#5 Ernest Mangnall
The Englsihman’s name might not ring a bell among the Old Trafford faithful, mostly due to him being in charge of the club from 1903 to 1912 – which seems like many lifetimes ago. Nevertheless, Mangnall is an important and slightly controversial figure in Manchester United’s history, to whom the club owe a great deal.
Mangnall, who was officially the club’s secretary (the word ‘manager’ wasn't used by the Old Trafford outfit until the appointment of Jack Robson in 1914), is recognized as Manchester United’s third most successful manager.
He remains one of just three Manchester United managers to have won the league, then known as the First Division as well as the first United manager to lift the FA Cup.
Mangnall’s foresight of shifting Manchester United to their now legendary home of Old Trafford also played a major part in immortalizing his legacy at the club. The Englishman made a controversial move to United’s arch rivals Manchester City in 1912 after 471 games at Old Trafford, where he lifted 2 First Division titles, 1 FA Cup and 2 Charity Shields. His last game in charge of United was coincidentally against City, who won the match 1-0.
The media focussed mostly on Mangnall, who was already confirmed as City’s new boss, and his delight at his future employer’s victory. Despite his change of colors, Mangnall’s contributions to the red half of Manchester will be permanently etched in the club’s history books.
#4 Tommy Docherty
The Doc may not have won as many trophies as his illustrious peers on this list or had the best of ends to his United spell, but the major changes he oversaw at Manchester United has made him an important part of their history.
The Scotsman was personally handed the job by legendary United manager Matt Busby, and inherited a club firmly in decline – not helped by an aging squad that rested on the glories of the past.
Docherty managed to keep the squad in the First Division for two whole seasons before overseeing their relegation in 1974. It was then that a much-needed squad rebuild was heralded in by Docherty. The rebuild caused United to become Second Division champions and return to the top tier of English football just a year later.
Docherty then went on to lead United to an FA Cup triumph in 1977, beating league champions and firm favorites Liverpool 2-1 in the final. However, Docherty’s extramarital affair with the wife of United’s physiotherapist Laurie Brown was unearthed in the same year, causing him to be unceremoniously sacked in July.
The manner of Docherty’s United exit is a blot on his Old Trafford legacy, but the numerous things he brought to the team, including a style of football that resembled the all-conquering side of the decade prior, can never be forgotten.
#3 Ron Atkinson
Big Ron was seen as the perfect man to restore United to their glory days, and although he could never deliver in the league in his 5 years at Old Trafford, he was still the club’s most successful manager since Matt Busby up until that point.
Besides bringing European football back to Old Trafford – which included a famous victory over a prime Diego Maradona’s FC Barcelona, Atkinson also brought some terrific players into the fold. One of those players was club great Bryan Robson, who Atkinson signed for a British record fee of £1.5 million from his former club West Brom in 1981. He scored twice against Barca in the European Cup. Remi
Moses and Frank Stapelton were also some exceptional players brought in as was Norman Whiteside – whom Atkinson promoted to the first team at the tender age of 17. One of the highlights of Atkinson’s time at Manchester United came in the 1985-86 season, which they started with ten consecutive victories – igniting hope of the league title returning to the club – before bottling it after Christmas.
An extremely disappointing start to the 1986-87 season meant the writing was on the wall for Atkinson.
The flamboyant Englishman was sacked by the club on November 6th 1986 after delivering 2 FA Cups and 1 Charity Shield, and was replaced that very day with a certain Scotsman who heralded in an era of success – the likes of which may never be seen again.
#2 Sir Alex Ferguson
A man who needs no introduction, Sir Alex Ferguson is truly a giant among men who took Manchester United to the summit and beyond. The legendary Scot was appointed as Ron Atkinson’s successor on November 6th, 1986 – the same day the Englishman was sacked – after doing a phenomenal job in his homeland with Aberdeen.
Sir Alex’s success wasn’t immediate and he had to endure some heavy criticism for the better part of four years, even after he won his first trophy with the club in the form of the FA Cup. Nevertheless, the club kept faith with the Scot even when many doubted his potential to deliver at a club of Manchester United’s stature.
The onset of the 90s changed everything for the Scot, who claimed victory after victory on a trailblazing path to success that continued right up until his retirement almost two decades later.
Sir Alex’s excellent eye for spotting talent led to the emergence of the Class of 92, who helped the club achieve the greatest of successes. The pinnacle of which was that famous night in Barcelona in May 1999, wherein United snatched the Champions League from Bayern Munich – performing one of the most dramatic comebacks in football in the process.
Other notable signings made by Ferguson include Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Wayne Rooney, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Edwin Van Der Sar, Nemanja Vidic as well as a plethora of others.
The winning mentality he enforced at Manchester United, as well as the sheer strength of his personality, which many say was the glue that held the club together in the final years of his reign, is a testament to his greatness.
Sir Alex called time on his legendary career in 2013 after winning a mindboggling 38 trophies – including 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups and 2 Champions League titles while sealing Manchester United’s status as the most successful club in England.
A true one-off, the success Sir Alex heralded in at Manchester United may not be seen for long, if ever.
#1 Sir Matt Busby
If you thought Sir Alex Ferguson’s fabled achievements couldn’t be topped, then you’ve probably never heard of Manchester United’s other great Scot – Sir Matt Busby.
Granted, Sir Matt’s incredibly tally of 13 trophies is dwarfed by Sir Alex’s 38, but Busby’s burning desire to bring success to his beloved Manchester United in the face of great adversity and heartache makes him a legend in every sense of the word.
Aside from leading United through the tremulous post-war years, Busby painstakingly built a side - popularly known as the Busby Babes - that made the club a force to reckon with, ushering in an era of glory. And then tragedy struck in the form of the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, which caused the death of eight of the Busby Babes. The Scot blamed himself for the crash as he was the one who urged the Football League to green light Manchester United’s participation in the European Cup, with the team returning from a game against Red Star Belgrade in the competition at the time of the tragedy.
Busby’s guilt even led him to consider quitting the United job, but was urged by his wife Jean to continue in honor of the players who died. The manager then oversaw a second squad rebuild, comprising of players like Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best – popularly known as the United Trinity – who picked up where the Babes had left off.
Busby’s long cherished dream of reaching the summit of European football finally bore fruit in 1968 when they lifted the European Cup after a 4-1 thumping of Benfica in the final, becoming the first English club to win the prize in the process.
A year after the win, Busby called time on his United career after a glittering 24 years at the helm, which produced 13 trophies including 5 First Division titles, 2 FA Cups and 1 European Cup. The Scot briefly returned to the United hot seat in 1970 before retiring once again a couple of months later, after which he stayed on at the club as a director and later president.
The ethos Busby instilled at the club, which includes the promotion of home-grown talent, reliance on youth and pulling out the stops to sign players that could win trophies, was later used as cornerstones by Sir Alex Ferguson almost two decades later.
Busby’s love for Manchester United was summed up when he turned down the Real Madrid job in 1956 with the immortal quote “Manchester is my heaven”. His legacy will live on.
